The 100 Year Starship Initiative, sparked by initial funding from DARPA, and off and rolling on its own now, has just launched its website.
The goal is construction of the first starship 100 years from now. Or failing that to spur technological and scientific development, in order to make it at least feasible, 100 years from now.

interesting idea I guess. though any designs for the starship in the next 70 years will probably just get discarded. Any investments will have 100 years to get embezzled by a sleazy accountant. Its a really long time to prepare in advance

We need more projects like this! Long ago we had Great Wall, Pyramids, Grand Canal, etc. Now we have White House, EU, etc. Seems that people were a lot more focused in the past than now.

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I agree, but the one difference thousands of years ago was the fact that technology wasn't a factor - it was relatively stagnant. I mean we name entire ages after the most advanced materials of the time - stone age --> bronze age --> iron age. At the current rate of change, 100 years may as well be 1000 or 10000. There's just no way to know what we'll be capable of in a hundred years.

I agree, but the one difference thousands of years ago was the fact that technology wasn't a factor - it was relatively stagnant. I mean we name entire ages after the most advanced materials of the time - stone age --> bronze age --> iron age. At the current rate of change, 100 years may as well be 1000 or 10000. There's just no way to know what we'll be capable of in a hundred years.

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We have the help of rapidly advancing tech, all they had was their hands and a few tools! Shame on us :/

Makes sense DARPA would fund something like this. Why maintain a huge bomber fleet when you could have one star ship do all the bombing for you from...SPPPAAAAAAACCCCEEEEEEE!!! Sorry, I couldn't resist.

We need more projects like this! Long ago we had Great Wall, Pyramids, Grand Canal, etc. Now we have White House, EU, etc. Seems that people were a lot more focused in the past than now.

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The emphasis is on social issues of the here and now and not solving long-term problems like Earth's resources eventually being exhausted. It's much easier for the sheeple to see a lack of jobs as an issue than the distant lack of iron being an issue.

Agreed. Like getting rid of hunger, disease, inequality, etc. I think we should take care of our affairs before we go spreading ourselves as a plague to the universe.

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Exactly my point. Humanity is doomed to fail if we only focus on the here and now. The massive accomplishments of the past, what were they directed at? The afterlife. Why shouldn't every decision we make today be based upon our great-grand children's well being 100 years from now? Our current trajectory is effectively digging our own graves; future generations be damned.

We put a man on the moon in a few decades. With enough resources, there's no reason why we couldn't make a space ship the size of an aircraft carrier (or 5) that is self-sustaining in about the same time. In fact, that's exactly what we should be doing. Space travel technologies aren't going to take the necessary leaps and bounds forward without such a program. Remember, most things learned from such a project can be applied to problems here on Earth.

The emphasis is on social issues of the here and now and not solving long-term problems like Earth's resources eventually being exhausted. It's much easier for the sheeple to see a lack of jobs as an issue than the distant lack of iron being an issue.

Agreed. Like getting rid of hunger, disease, inequality, etc. I think we should take care of our affairs before we go spreading ourselves as a plague to the universe.

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Yeah and we have done what to solve that in thousands of years? Nothing...we've got a society now that has grown completely complacent. One way or another, those fall apart.

Our future is in space, not here. Need resources? That is where they are waiting. Our solar system alone is a gold mine. Raw materials on multiple worlds + asteroids, water in the moons of Jupiter and Saturn...come on, they are like stepping stones. Expanding onto other worlds/moons will create more room. Take stress off the home planet. Eventually move the entire space program to space itself. Manufacturing ships in zero G will be a heck of a lot easier than down here.

I'd never be interested in joining a project where the fruits of my labour would only ever be realized long after I'm dead. The results from this are speculative, too. What a crock.

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All the politicians have the same train of thought as you do: "I'd never be interested in making the country better when the fruits of my labour will only be realised when I retire". :shadedshu

I would personally want to join a project where the fruits of my labour will not realise until decades after I die, that is how I want to leave my mark in the world, rather than having an elaborate tomb saying "I waz here!"

This sounds horrible! I'm going to be dead by then! *kicks rock, puts hands in pocket lowers head and walks into the sunset*

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chin up.

Maybe by that time they would have found ways to download or transfer peoples brains onto a invincible cyborg so that even when the flesh is dead the brain will live on!! - somewhat Ghost In The Shell'esk

though the idea scares me a little but at the end of the day would you rather be dead and gone or 'live on' in an artificial body potentially as an Ai that still holds your soul and personality?

Agreed. Like getting rid of hunger, disease, inequality, etc. I think we should take care of our affairs before we go spreading ourselves as a plague to the universe.

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That's the thing that gets me the most, we can solve problems like hunger and the impeding energy crisis. No offence to anyone with AIDs for example but when someone dies of a simple disease or problem we can prevent and solve right now well its sad; those are easily preventable deaths yet we go after less preventable and future projects. Same deal with this starship, what's the point if our own backyard needs attention.

That's the thing that gets me the most, we can solve problems like hunger and the impeding energy crisis. No offence to anyone with AIDs for example but when someone dies of a simple disease or problem we can prevent and solve right now well its sad; those are easily preventable deaths yet we go after less preventable and future projects. Same deal with this starship, what's the point if our own backyard needs attention.

All the politicians have the same train of thought as you do: "I'd never be interested in making the country better when the fruits of my labour will only be realised when I retire". :shadedshu

I would personally want to join a project where the fruits of my labour will not realise until decades after I die, that is how I want to leave my mark in the world, rather than having an elaborate tomb saying "I waz here!"

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Yeah, you're right too; it depends on what makes you happy. It's similar, but not quite the same with politicians staying in office for a limited time though. Can't really go into that here though. Feel free to discuss this over at GN if you like. Just send me a PM with a link.

Agreed. Like getting rid of hunger, disease, inequality, etc. I think we should take care of our affairs before we go spreading ourselves as a plague to the universe.

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Amen Brother....Too the dictator comment was Mosses one?,I mean he lead his Hebrew flock out of 400 years of slavery,If we as a human race have to call one other a name then we have no right to be in space,until we get rid of the so called 1% who we make to be celebrity like ....those who know what 1% means .......that is what holds us up ,do we as a race lower our standards to theirs?

Yeah and we have done what to solve that in thousands of years? Nothing...we've got a society now that has grown completely complacent. One way or another, those fall apart.

Our future is in space, not here. Need resources? That is where they are waiting. Our solar system alone is a gold mine. Raw materials on multiple worlds + asteroids, water in the moons of Jupiter and Saturn...come on, they are like stepping stones. Expanding onto other worlds/moons will create more room. Take stress off the home planet. Eventually move the entire space program to space itself. Manufacturing ships in zero G will be a heck of a lot easier than down here.

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Just like in Star Trek right ,,,Speaking of which you fellow Trekkers will be happy to know ST2 is coming 2013